Selenium toxicity to aquatic life: An argument for sediment-based water quality criteria

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1255-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven P. Canton ◽  
William D. Van Derveer
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Selenium Toxicity

scholarly journals Geochemical and biological controls on the ecological relevance of total, dissolved, and colloidal forms of trace elements in large boreal rivers: review and case studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-163
Author(s):  
C.W. Cuss ◽  
C.N. Glover ◽  
M.B. Javed ◽  
A. Nagel ◽  
W. Shotyk
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Trace Elements ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Athabasca River ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Boreal Rivers

The concentrations of trace elements (TEs) in large boreal rivers can fluctuate markedly due to changing water levels and flow rates associated with spring melt and variable contributions from tributaries and groundwaters, themselves having different compositions. These fluctuating and frequently high concentrations create regulatory challenges for protecting aquatic life. For example, water quality criteria do not account for changes in flow regimes that can result in TE levels that may exceed regulatory limits, and neither do they account for the markedly different lability and bioaccessibility of suspended solids. This review addresses the geochemical and biological processes that govern the lability and bioaccessibility of TEs in boreal rivers, with an emphasis on the challenges posed by the colloidal behaviour of many TEs, and their relationship to the dissolved fraction (i.e., <0.45 μm in size). After reviewing the processes and dynamics that give rise to the forms and behaviour of TEs in large boreal rivers, their relevance for aquatic organisms and the associated relationships between size and lability and bioaccessibility are discussed. The importance of biological variables and different forms of TEs for limiting lability and bioaccessibility are also addressed. Two case studies emphasize seasonal fluctuations and accompanying changes in the distribution of TE amongst different size fractions and associated colloidal species in large boreal rivers: the Northern Dvina and one of its tributaries, the Pinega River, both in Russia, and the Athabasca River in Alberta, Canada. Water quality in the Athabasca River is briefly discussed with respect to Canadian guidelines.

Developing a national water quality criteria system in China

Water Policy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 936-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zhen-guang ◽  
Wang Hong ◽  
Wang Yi-zhe ◽  
Zhang Ya-hui ◽  
Yu Ruo-zhen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Test Method ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Water Quality Standards ◽  
Aquatic Life

Water quality criteria (WQC) form a scientific basis for the development of water quality standards. The study of WQC in China has been insufficient. This mini review introduces the progress that has been made towards the establishment of a WQC system in China. A systematic WQC study has been ongoing in China for several years, mainly referring to the WQC system in the United States. Some important kinds of WQC have been studied, including aquatic life, biological, sediment quality, lake nutrient and human health criteria, focusing on the aquatic life criteria in the present phase. Technical guidelines for deriving the major criteria and their values for some typical pollutants have been preliminarily proposed. The future research needs for WQC development include the screening of priority pollutants, the investigation of aquatic biota distribution, establishment of a toxicity test method and the development of environmental quality criteria database, etc.

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